Superlative adjectives show the highest degree of a quality and help you compare one thing to all others in a group. This guide covers the two main ways to form superlatives in German: the -ste ending and the absolute superlative with -stens and intensifying adverbs.
Formation
The basic superlative is formed by adding -ste or -teste to the adjective stem, and it can appear with the definite article when used attributively. This ending corresponds to English -est and marks the adjective as ranking first in degree.
Attributive Superlative
When the superlative adjective describes a noun directly, it takes the appropriate gender, number, and case ending after the definite article. This ensures the adjective agrees with the noun in the sentence.
He is the fastest runner in the school.
Predicative Superlative
When the superlative follows a linking verb like sein, it appears in its base form without endings and no article is used. This form highlights the quality as a predicate rather than an attribute.
Signal Words
Words like am meisten, am wenigsten and contextual clues help signal when to use the superlative. Phrases such as von allen guide whether the comparison is relative or absolute.
Absolute Superlative
The absolute superlative intensifies an adjective without comparing to others and is formed by adding -stens or by using adverbs like sehr or äußerst. This highlights an extreme degree rather than a ranking.
Summary
The superlative is formed with -ste for relative comparisons and appears with the article for attributive use; predicative superlatives drop endings and articles. Signal words guide usage and the absolute superlative uses adverbs or -stens to intensify without comparison.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025